Kirsten’s Birthday Time Capsule 2015

Several hours into Kirsten’s sixth birthday, I asked her, “how does it feel to be 6?”

She grinned. “I think I like it.”

We have a birthday tradition (for all the kids) where they curl up with me on the couch and look through a whole bunch of their baby photos. They’ll ask me about where this one was taken, and why their face was so squishy and what manner of fun they were up to.

I feel like this daughter of mine was born to be a big girl, and she’s enjoying every moment of growing up. She started walking and speaking and hitting all her milestones earlier than the other kids, just growing on superspeed. She’s always been ready to be a big girl, like she is so much wiser and more mature on the inside and she’s just waiting for her outside to catch up.

Ok, now time for another tradition: Kirsten’s birthday time capsule 2015.

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Hey baby girl,

Is it ok if I still call you my baby? I know time is running out on this baby calling with each passing year. **sad eyes emoticon with a tear on the side. But then again, I still call your daddy my baby and he’s 35, so there’s that.

You’re finally 6!! You’ve been so excited the past few days, just counting down to being another year older. Adding years to your age loses its charm after a while, you’ll see. I know you can’t wait to be as big as Truett, and in many ways, it seems like you are. Sometimes, I forget that you’re still a preschooler, because you talk and do things like a 7 or 8 year old.

You do all these crazy grown up things like putting yourself to bed, washing your little brother’s poopy bum, making your own sandwiches, reading to your baby, packing up stuff around the house (without being asked??!!). You’re like my supersub, and when things get out of control with the babies (which happens often), I can always count on you to be thoughtful and do the responsible thing.

But dial back on the superspeed and wait up for me a little, ok? I like it when you still ask to snuggle at bedtime, or when you want to sit on my lap to read, or when you want to hang out next to me just to load up on mommy time.

You’ve got the most infectious laugh, and your enthusiasm for life is like a cannonball of sunshine that hits me right in the face. You wake up and get excited about sort of ordinary stuff. Library day today? YEAHH SO MUCH FUN!! We take a detour to get ice-cream after school and you’re like “WHATTT?? THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.” You go watch a game of waterpolo (you’ve never even heard of waterpolo right up to that point) at the SEA Games and you cheer your heart out. Your radness level is ridiculously high for someone this tiny.

This photo taken by one of the MCCY photographers at the waterpolo match is so quintessentially you.

Hang on, we have to talk about your artistic ability for a moment. Where did this come from?? Not me, that’s for sure. I love your drawings!! They’re so whimsical and happy and full of you-ness. FYI I’m your biggest fan.

Maybe you’ll come to think differently as you grow up, but know that you’re so beautiful inside and outside and every possible side. And we’ll be here to tell you every day just how beautiful you are.

Happy birthday, sweetheart. I’m really glad you’re my girl.

We’ve got so much fun in store for us, you and me. Stick with me, baby girl, I’ll show you how to have fun.